A long-term therapeutic treatment for patients with a severe gag reflex.

"Hypnopuncture," a combination treatment of hypnosis and acupuncture, provides a therapeutic treatment plan for long-term therapy for patients with a distinctive gag reflex. The treatment is applied independently of the cause. In cases of emergency treatment in dentistry, the immediate compliance of a patient is of utmost importance. The long-term goal of any therapeutic measure is control of the gag reflex. A new treatment protocol is illustrated in the case of a 50-year-old patient with a severe gag reflex. After only 5 visits, dental treatment could be conducted without any auxiliary means. Hypnosis is applied in the form of hypnosedation (not as psychotherapy), while stereognosis occupies a central position for desensitization.